Growth of aerobic bacteria on alkali-solubilized lignite
- Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Coal contains a complex mixture of organic compounds, the variety of which depends on the particular type of coal. There is a general agreement that coal is composed of a macromolecular fraction and a lower-mol-wt fraction that are noncovalently associated with each other. Huttinger and Michenfelder have proposed a structural unit for the macromolecular portion of a lignite coal that comprises 2 and 3-ring fused aromatics, paraffin, terpene, cycloaliphatics, hydrocarbon bridges, several carboxyl moieties, straight-chain saturated hydrocarbons, branched-chain hydrocarbons, sulfur heterocyclics, ether linkages, alcohol groups, nitrogen heterocyclics, and chelated metals. Low-mol-wt compounds found in coal can be separated from macromolecules by extraction with organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran. Low-mol-wt organic compounds that have been revealed by such extractions include straight-chain (C{sub 13}-C{sub 33}), branched, and cyclic alkanes; aryl and aryl alkyl compounds with 1-6 rings; and phenolic compounds. In low-ranked coals, branched alkanes predominate over straight chain. This report describes the enrichment for, and isolation of, microorganisms that are capable of modifying lignite.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Badger Engineers, Inc., Tampa, FL (United States); Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 431603
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-900512--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Mild supercritical-gas extraction from low-rank coals: separation, spectroscopy, and composition of alkane products
Possible use of liquid sulfur dioxide as an agent for upgrading coal liquids